The Wordless Mage
Chapter 26: To Leap, And Fall

Chapter 26: To Leap, And Fall

Kaia’s fist slammed into the dark tendril rushing in her direction, its end twisting in response to her powerful strike.

The resounding aether shooting from her hand waved in the to shake the inside of Rowan’s head, almost causing him to yelp out in anguish.

"Damn, this thing’s strong," she bit, jumping back to create more distance between her and the large beast.

"Feel for the Way, allow it to guide you to your arcana. You are the conduit, giving it free reign over your energy."

The one to speak was the pope, holding his staff perfectly straight with closed eyes. He was closely guarded by several retainers from before, their weapons poking out in the directions of other beasts in the area.

"What even are these things," Lucien asked, spinning his black sword in the air to rid it of the purple blood dripping along its sharp, "they’re unusually sturdy, and the aether I feel from them moves irregularly."

He stepped forward to repel another tendril flying in his direction, his blade lodging a couple inches into the thing’s flesh but hardly leaving any lasting damage.

"They’re nightcrawlers, roamers of the twilight. Typically, they wouldn’t even infringe upon these lands, but they’ve been touched by the Way, corrupted by its cracks."

The one to speak was the king, swinging his blade above his head to display its grandeur, the tip gleaming with both light from the sun and concentrated aether.

With one fell swoop, he jetted its blade down unto the beast, a large, sweeping blue streak forming in the distance between him and the nightcrawler.

Shlosh...

The creature was cleaved cleanly in two, its purple blood shooting out from the thin line separating its halves.

Once the body had slammed into the ground to destroy two already-damaged houses, he turned back to the heroes, looking them down.

"Don’t hold yourselves back with self doubt. Imagine yourself as a cup, filled with water to the brim. Now, you must imagine an outside force--a hand, perhaps--tipping your vessel to release that water. Do not believe yourself to be that hand, else you risk dispelling your control over arcana. Bend to the will of the Way, answer to its inclinations with your utmost being."

The four heroes all closed their eyes, holding their grimoires in their hands. The surrounding air moved more than their limbs, breezing through their hair to provide them furthered calm, and thus, concentration.

Purple aether shot out from them, propelling into the sky before it settled to form a cloud surrounding their bodies.

Simultaneously, they all took deeper breaths, feeling for the aether, allowing it to run across their skin and answer to the Way.

It was sudden, the way the air changed. The purple ambience disappeared, being replaced by a number of individual textures and lights emanating from their bodies.

For Liora, it was blue, the gaseous state of aether condensing to flow like water to the floor.

No, it was water. She produced water from her aether.

It was the same way for two of the others, narrow yellow strands sizzling from Elias’ torso, crackling like electricity, and actual--not metaphysical--fire bursting forth from Kaia’s skin.

The only one who hadn’t manifested anything was Lucien, standing completely still.

There was no aether, no unique glow.

No, that was false. Something did come from him.

His hand was reaching out, small black striations filling the air just in front of him.

The small bundles of dirt on the ground rumbled at his beckon, even burrowing into the ground as his eyes squinted further.

It was gravity arcana, bending the surrounding earth as he so willed.

"To be able to apply ryudo in a single moment is simply astounding... you four may be the most talented beings to ever exist," Viral said, struggling to regain his balance once he’d almost fell back on his bottom, "although, it’ll take more work for you to progress your arcana."

His cape flagged in the hot air as he jumped on top one of the still-standing houses, pointing to a different beast.

"How about you go and test out your new abilities?"

The heroes roared, jumping up to follow him, aether bringing power in their limbs.

Rowan looked down at himself, still hidden beneath the cloak.

He wasn’t sure whether to take it off and talk to them, but when the average soldier passed by to look at the group, he felt it best to wait until he was in a place more private.

A powerful pang struck his heart, taking him to his knees for a second.

He longed for the same strength that the heroes possessed, thirsted for it, even.

With trembling hands, he got back up, panic beginning to settle in his heart.

Where did they go? I could’ve sworn they were just above me a few seconds ago...

In a bold attempt to mimic them, he tightened his gut and clenched his fists, closing his eyes to allocate stray aether to his feet.

However, it was clear that he’d failed once he leaped to hop onto a rooftop but only made about twenty-four inches, a far cry from the dozens of feet that the heroes could cover.

Setting aside that embarrassment, he ran across the road that the monster sat on, trekking over its blood and looking to his left.

Once he didn’t find any signs of the heroes fighting the beast straight ahead, the panic in his chest strengthened into genuine terror, the possibility of being stranded in a town full of hulking beasts tightening his chest.

"Guys," he yelled, running between different roads.

It was harrowing, the way the paths winded, and worst of all, sharp turns would reveal large balls of broken wood from destroyed houses, engorged in flames.

He had to unconsciously slow his run, constantly looking over his shoulder and watching his path all at the same time to make sure he wasn’t in any threat of danger from monsters or flame.

"Help!"

The voice cleaved straight through Rowan’s splintered mind, his feet dragging through the ground to halt his sprint.

The origin was to his right, a single house standing strong, untouched by the destruction.

There laid a single woman, cradling something in her arms.